What Are the Distinguishing Factors Between the Contemporary Views of Health Promotion Versus the Historical View? How and Why Did These Differences Develop?

Historically, if you were not ill- feeling well- you did not need a physician and you therefore, only saw your PMD for a specific illness. Those beliefs are seen daily from our older population of patients. Those beliefs are ingrained in them if they were born prior to 1960. Since they survived all the diseases (prior to 1940) that we now vaccinate our children from and they did not die from any environmental causes (1940-1950’s) from their work environment, they see no reason to a physician.

It was also noted at this time that the environment that one worked in may be contributing to their state of illness, and it was noticed that you could ‘recover’ from your disease/illness but may not be able to be productive within society. It was during this time that the government started to get involved by funding hospital expansions and the development of the Department of Health Education and Welfare which is currently named Department of Health and Human Services. From the 1960s to the present, there have been incredible changes in the health care delivery system as federal and state governments have attempted to control spending and health care costs have escalated (Barr et al., 2003).

Our current views of healthcare promotion are just that- views to PROMOTE health. Over the past 30 years, health promotion has been placed front and center in the health care arena. As evidence based research continues, we as healthcare providers have a better understanding of disease and illness within our society and gives us the basis for promoting health. Prevention of illness and disease is the foundation to health....